Underground
by KingOfTheRock
Summary: AU. Once the final battle is over, Ghazan and Ming Hua manage to escape, but what sort of life awaits them?
1. Parallel Universe

Ghazan's eyes readjusted to the darkness, once his lava-filled chaos came to an end. As soon as the two brats left the cave, he borrowed in, tunneling to Ming Hua. He stopped for a moment and planted his foot into the soil, searching for her in his mind's eyes. He knew it was bad even before he saw her – the firebender would never have made it out alive if she were conscious, and she was hardly breathing. He lifted her weightless body and kept going, searching for a safe place to hide.

It wasn't hard to tell that they lost both the war. Zaheer would definitely come get them if he could, wouldn't he? And if he came up into the open too close or too soon, he'd be vastly outnumbered by the Avatar and her friends.

It hasn't been long since he lost his first battle in thirteen years, but he assumed the place was already swarming with members of the White Lotus. Those corrupted pawns must be searching everywhere for the Red Lotus. Other than the four of them, there were only the guards, and he doubted their loyalty during crisis. He was alone.

He bended the earth beneath him, making him move faster. Zaheer had forced him to memorize the map of the area. The closest village was a few miles away, but that's probably where the Avatar would go. He had to go further.

What do you do when the only person capable of healing is mortally injured? He had to leave Ming Hua's fate to chance on this one. She only had limited time, and the odds of finding a waterbender in that area were slim.

The world above him didn't seem to be in utter chaos. The sky was still blue, the sun was still shining, and spirits were still floating around. But his world was in disarray. Zaheer is either dead or captured, P'li is blown to bits, and Ming Hua is hanging by a thread. If she goes, he'll be alone again. As a fugitive he'd always have to look over his shoulder and sleep with one eye open. This time there won't be a chance for a better future. She was his only shot at a meaningful life.

He tried to think of himself, the one who brought down the infamous inner walls of Ba Sing Se, pretending to be a simple farmer at some countryside village, covering his telltale tattoos and forsaking lavabending forever, made him cringe in disgust. It was absurd. He was meant for greatness.

With his friends by his side, they nearly rewrote history, but he can't do it alone. She better wake up.

After what seemed to be forever, he knew they've gone far enough. He rose up, leaving Ming Hua in a catacomb he fashioned just for her. Once the structure was secure, he closed her in, hiding it within the mountainside where no one could ever find her. She'd be safe there, for now. Until he could get a healer. Well, if.


	2. Scar Tissue

Ghazan stole the first hood he could find from some poor family's yard. He grunted as he put it on, hiding his face as much as he could. It was damp and ill-fitting; the fabric was too tight for his broad physique and the sleeves were too short. They left a blue-ish block of ink visible above his wrist. He stuck his hands in his pockets and kept walking hastily until he found a random stranger.

"Hey," he said quietly, trying to invoke the least amount of attention. The stranger stopped in his tracks. "Where can I find a healer around here?"

"Well, there's Tatzu, but he's not very good. Keep walking to your left until you find a house with a red door. Are you new around here? We don't get many travelers."

It didn't seem like the stranger was too suspicious - he couldn't see that frightful realization, one where an innocent citizen finally understands they're talking to a dangerous criminal, so he won't have to _take care _of him.

"We were just passing through and had to take a detour. My wife's sick."

"Good luck with Tatzu, then," he bowed shortly and resumed his path.

Ghazan raced through the streets, only thinking of the red door and the potential idiot who waits behind it.

"What seems to be the problem?" The old healer asked.

"My, uhh, friend. She's severely injured."

"And how did it happen?"

"You'll see."

As they finally left the village, he bended the earth they were standing on, moving straight ahead, until he noticed an airship in the distance. He stopped abruptly to cover his tracks, nearly knocking the healer down, as they both plummeted below ground. The airship could never have noticed them from such a distance.

"Wh – what happened?" Tatzu panted. "Why are we down here? I don't like small places!"

"It's just a safer way to travel. We're nearly there," he said as he created their new route, gliding forward. He could get used to living this way, like a primal badgermole. It might even make him a better bender than he already is.

They finally made it back to Ming Hua's hideout. He had to spend too much time on laying low, but she was still breathing. He finally took off the world's most uncomfortable hood and put it aside for future use. Tatzu seemed perplexed as he glanced at him.

Ghazan ignored him and stared at his only remaining comrade. It was the first time in years that he thought she seemed weak. No one but him knew she was a hero, one who nearly sacrificed her life in order to change the world forever. Then he looked back at Tatzu, who probably wasn't sharing his sympathetic thoughts towards her. In fact, a whole other expression was plastered all over his face.

The frightful realization.

"S – she has no arms."

"Yeah, but that's not why I called you here."

"_An armless waterbender and a tattooed earthbender_. And you were hiding from the airship - " Tatzu mumbled to himself, his face turning white.

"Aren't you the observer," he said curtly.

"They said you were dead! Please, I have a family!"

"I don't have time for this," he levitated a heavy rock, pointing it to his head. "I need you to fix her, and then I'll let you go, as long as you promise to keep quiet."

"I promise," he said and finally took out his damn water skin. He leaned over her, mumbling "_that can't be good"_, swooshing water from here to there, absorbing it into her body.

"If she doesn't make it, you won't make it," he said, bending small pebbles just so he'd have something to do. He hated being so helpless, not while there was so much on the line. He couldn't lose her, not after all they've been through. The Red Lotus are bounded for life.

"I'm doing my best," he whimpered.

Ghazan exhaled, stacking the pebbles. He nearly made it as high as his waist before he heard a gasping sound.

Ming Hua finally opened her eyes, looking around frantically as she tried to sit up and failed.

"You mustn't exert yourself," Tatzu said, pouring more water into her.

"You're alright," Ghazan half-asked half-stated, finally feeling relaxed. She could take it from here. Everything got much easier now that there are two of them. He shouldn't have had all these _feelings _like a little girl. Of course she'd pull through.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice even raspier than usual.

"I don't know. We lost. Zaheer's probably dead or flew off somewhere and ditched us."

"Umm, actually, he's been captured."

So he didn't abandon them. Ghazan felt a pang of guilt just for thinking their leader and friend would ever do such a thing, but it was quickly replaced by rage. He trained his whole life for this battle, sat imprisoned for thirteen years, waited, trusted Zaheer, and full-heartedly thought it was a worthy cause, only to have it all blow up in his face. They could have changed the world, but all they've done was waste their lives.

"Will you be able to heal yourself?"

"I _strongly _advise against it – "

"I could do anything if you give me enough water." She eyed her healer, and then him. He nodded, looking into her sunken eyes, understanding every word she didn't say.

"Your body suffered a massive blow. Even simple tasks as sitting are far too much for you to handle. Let me help you."

"Nothing is too much for me. I can handle myself," she said confidently, as if she wasn't on the brink of death a few moments ago.

"So… can I go now?" He stared at Ghazan with puppy dog eyes. "I promise I won't tell anyone you were here. I swear it. You said I could go – you promised!"

"You can go," he bended a boulder, opening the cave door.

"_Thank you," _he said with tears in his eyes.

He was a good person, who possibly saved lives. More than that – he saved Ming Hua's. Ghazan definitely owed it to him to let him keep his. It was the honorable thing to do, but it was also the dumbest. Tatzu was kind, sure, but was he truthful? Reliable? He could possibly tell the entire village their exact location. It was a risk he would never take.

Ghazan took his stance and fired a rock at the back of his head. The healer fell immediately, without ever knowing what was coming for him. He made a grave for the body, covering it up as if it were never there, and took the water skin he had left.

"I'll go get you some water."


	3. Let's Go Get Lost

Ming Hua soaked herself in water, making it glow in the darkness of the cave. She hated it there. It was surprisingly similar to her old prison cell; Ghazan even made a small pit of lava for warmth.

Everything was going so wrong for her lately. She'll never get to speak to P'li again, and there would never be anarchy, at least not in her lifetime. If it weren't for Ghazan, she'd still be lying in that pond. As if everything wasn't worst enough, she got beaten by a _child. _She should have killed him when she had the chance, drown him, make him gag and gasp. She'd have to swallow her pride on this one.

If only she had known he could bend lightning, she'd be more careful. There were hundreds of ways for her to kill him off; how did she ever let this happen?

Ghazan was struggling to light a small torch. "This was much easier with P'li around."

He looked at her, waiting for a sarcastic retort. She just couldn't. A _lot _of shit has happened to her over the years, but it never went this bad, this quickly. There was never so much at stake.

"That kid just had luck on his side," he said after a short silence, as if reading her mind.

"Masters don't need luck," she said bitterly.

"They do, if they want to survive being cooked alive by lightning," he rolled his yes.

"Shut up already," she muttered, regaining her water tentacles. It felt nice to have those as reassurance, even if there wasn't anything specific for her to do. She'd have to lay there and try to heal herself as fast as possible if she ever wanted to make it out of that cave. Ghazan was the only thing that kept her somewhat sane in this mess.

"I will. As the wise Guru Laghima once said, _Shutting up is wind,_" he smirked.

She actually smiled for a moment. They all suffered through hours and hours of Laghima quotes and poems. To this day, she still remembered some of them by heart.

"Such a wise Guru. He knew all about winds and tethers," he kept ranting. "And speaking of tethers - How long before you're up and ready to bust him out?"

She used her water to support herself into a sitting position. It hurt as if her organs were tearing apart, but lying down for so long only made her feel worse. She wasn't some basket case.

Ghazan quickly bended a small wall of earth for her to lean on. Out of the three of them, she was glad it was him who was there by her side.

"We're not. We've already lost, twice. There are too many of them, and the Avatar is too powerful for the two of us. It's over." Aside from the obvious pain from the lightning, she was still bruised from the Avatar's attack. She never had so many battle scars all at once.

"Come on, he did the same thing for us." He finally managed ignite the torch. A warm light filled the space, illuminating Ghazan's satisfied smile as he planted it in the ground.

"Because he needed us. But we don't need him anymore. We could go anywhere, blend in. They think we died. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She thought for a moment and added, "_Shedding your old skin shall lead to new growth, _as the wise Guru Laghima once said."

He grinned. "I disagree with Laghima on this one. You and I are supposed to be great, not just blend in a crowd. We took down Ba Sing Se, we could take Republic City as well. The president's not a challenge for us."

"Do you want to be _great _or do you want to be free?" She stared into his eyes. "Let's say we do kill the president – they'll just elect a new one and we would go right back to where we started. I've had enough volcanic prisons for a lifetime."

"Same with sea-sickness. But if they don't know we're coming for him, we might stand a chance."

"And who will be the mastermind behind this operation? You?"

"I'll be the brains and you'll be the muscle," he said in amusement.

Was he even taking this seriously? Did he realize the proportions of their tragedy? Not only did she know how unpractical it is, she didn't even _want _to set Zaheer free. He portrayed himself as their friend, but mostly, he was their commander. They were nothing but interchangeable soldiers to him, valuable only as long as they get the job done. He _used _P'li death as an instrument for his own power trip. The woman whom he claimed to be the love of his life died and he just flew off on his merry way. This wasn't what she signed up for. It was time to become her own person.

"It'll never work. The Avatar managed to handle lethal poison _and _capture Zaheer, and she must be growing even stronger as we speak. If she comes after us, our next deaths won't be fake. This one hurt enough as it is. It's time to cut our losses and move on. We should just get lost somewhere."

Getting lost with him actually seemed quite tempting. With no one to quote dead Gurus at her and give out orders, no more chases and fights. Just a quiet life beside him. It was everything she wanted at the moment, but to him it was a final resort. She failed to understand how what she had to offer wasn't as tempting to him as going back to a wooden cage in the middle of nowhere.

"I'll think about it," he said eventually. "…to Ba Sing Se, maybe."


	4. Pleasure Spiked With Pain

Ming Hua was getting better every day, slowly returning to her old self – eating tiny portions, replying sarcastically to anything he says and perching on rocks. She still spent most of her time sleeping, as it "speeds up the healing process", but he knew she was just exhausted. To him, it was boring in a near prison-cell level, but at least she was there. The worst part of his incarceration was his solitude, and luckily for him, he'll never have to deal with it again.

He already got the food, travel clothes and money they needed for their long, long journey. He hated compromising, but Ming Hua had a point. Starting over elsewhere was their only choice. Even when he tried to think about breaking Zaheer out, he got stuck at step 1: where the hell is he?

If he wanted to keep her by his side – and he did – he had to give up his heroic intentions. But at least he got to decide their destination, the place where they could watch their only achievement come to life. Knocking down that wall was his childhood dream. He finally got to destroy the barrier that made rich people think they're so much better than everyone else. No one could even get past the walls without a passport. They were so strict for their own safety, while criminals ruled the streets of the lower ring undisturbed. He couldn't wait to see what his old hometown would be like after its transformation.

He watched her sleep for a while since he had nothing better to do. She seemed bitter even then, with a deep crease between her brows. He wondered why she bothers sleeping so much if all she gets is nightmares and frowning.

She opened her eyes, and he quickly looked away.

"Would you like a signed portrait? It'll last longer," she smirked.

"Good morning to you, too. I didn't want to wake you, but I got everything ready for tomorrow. Are you sure you're up for this ride?" What a brilliant distraction.

"If you managed to stay on a ship for thirteen years, it's probably not that hard," she shrugged.

"I also manage to do fifty push-ups. Good luck with that," he smiled in amusement.

He used to lay aimlessly in his cage and wonder why he never said anything to her. It didn't take a strategic genius to know there were huge consequences for a drastic move like that. He chickened out right before they tried to capture the Avatar thirteen years ago, thinking it's too distracting. Then he couldn't tell her at all, with them being in two different parts of the world with no chance to escape. He got another chance thanks to Zaheer, which went to waste in the midst of their new operation. This time he nearly lost her forever. What the hell was he doing? How long could he possibly drag this out? Why did he always regret keeping his mouth shut, but never spoke when he had the chance?

He was never one to talk about his feelings. It seemed pointless, stupid and childish. Ming Hua concealed hers so well, he doubted she hardly had any feelings at all, until that fateful day in the truck. Who would have thought that some dorky earthbender knew her better than he did?

The two of them must have exchanged hundreds of stares over the years. It always helped to make everything clearer, like they suddenly read each other's minds. Sometimes she'd squint, frown, or gesture, but never, not once, has she looked away. She avoided his eyes for the rest of the trip, and that's how he knew. But he still did nothing.

It was their last night before they go out into the world, surrounded by people they didn't intend to fight. Soon they won't be alone anymore, and he'd lose yet another shot.

"I know," he murmured.

"Know what? How to lace your own shoes?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I _know_. And I am, too," he avoided her eyes. Why must it be so damn difficult?

She looked at him for a moment, perplexed, and then he felt her water on the back of his neck, pulling him forward. Before he knew it, she was already there, closer than ever, with her lips on his.

The water was nearly ice-cold, soaking through his shirt, but her skin was warm. He missed human contact. Even after his escape, an occasional handshake just wasn't enough. His hand glided down her hip, the other digging into her hair. He could get used to that quite easily. It was a lot better than just staring at her from a safe distance, and he knew he was the world's greatest idiot for wasting all this time until now. All he could do was to make up for it, he thought as she climbed into his lap.

* * *

"Don't expect me to get all mushy from now on," she clarified as they lied there, breathless.

"Too bad. I was looking forward to hear your love poems."

But she still spent what's left of that night nestled against him.


	5. Missing Pieces

For the first time in decades, Ming Hua was truly happy. She didn't let it show, obviously. She was never the emotional type. But she could still feel this warmth inside whenever she looked at him.

They even left their dark, secluded cave, and began their journey to Ba Sing Se by riding a ship, no less. She was surrounded by water, right where she was meant to be. Using her bending upfront around the other passengers would have been stupid and careless, but she could still secretly bend the very tides of the ocean, making the vessel move at record speed. She enjoyed the vast confusion of the crew as they struggled to realize the cause of these sporadic bursts of unnatural velocity.

Ghazan wasn't as happy of being out in the open sea as she was, and she could guess the reason why. Still, he took her out onto the deck at night and showed her the constellation he once named after her, his arm casually wrapped around her shoulders.

Everything was seemingly perfect, but one thing was always missing. Well, two, actually.

* * *

Her father changed since her mother passed away. He was always a strict bending coach, but now he wouldn't give her a moment's rest. Whether it's sunrise or midnight, it's always practice time.

He once sat her down for a talk and explained to her, very slowly, that she's all he has now, and he will do everything in his power to make her the greatest waterbender of the Southern Tribe. It would take a lot of time and work, but eventually, she'll thank him.

Ming Hua thought he was right. She wanted to be a master just like him, and bending was fun.

She soon realized how mistaken she was. Tao made her work constantly, raging when she couldn't tame the Water Whip, screaming about her poor stance, demanding her to repeat every move over and over, and rest was for the weak.

The spars were the worst part. He somehow failed to understand that an eight year old girl can't fight like an adult, and he never went easy on her. Cutting corners was an offense nearly punishable by death in his book, and losing was just as bad. Unfortunately for her, she lost every daily spar they've had, resulting in her going to bed exhausted _and_ hungry.

The night of the festival changed her life forever.

He returned to their home in the middle of the night, his walk unsteady and his breath reeking.

"Wake up, sweetie. A good bender must be ready at all times," he said as he pulled her out of bed.

"But I'm tired," she mumbled. He barely let her put on a pair of warm slippers as they walked to their backyard training field.

"It's nighttime during Solstice," he took his stance, which she now noticed was worse than any of the ones she ever tried. "Maybe you'll do well this time. Please, _please_ just do something right for once."

Without any further warning he bended the snow into ice disks and launched them at her.

Her exhaustion made way for fear as she managed to dodge most of them, and even deflect one. The ones who did hit her didn't hurt as they usually do. His aim was off. Maybe he's tired too.

She tried fighting back by using the Water Whip, the only move she managed to perform in a somewhat decent level.

"You're being predictable," the water froze mid-air. "This wouldn't have caused me any harm even if I were blind enough to get hit. You have to disable your opponent. Like this."

Her arms and torso were entrapped in a block of ice against their fence before she even realized what he was doing. He sure was right about the element of surprise.

"Okay, I understand. Let me try," she said, waiting for him to melt the ice.

"You can try to get yourself out. You have to show some improvement, young lady. Go back to the house once you got it," he turned around.

"Daddy, come back! It's not funny! I promise I'll work harder!" She called after him. He pretended not to hear her.

Her cries for help were drowned in the noise of the festival, and soon enough she realized it's useless. The cold was a normal part of her life in the Tribe, but it was never this bad. It never felt like her very breath froze inside her lungs. Her arms stung and prickled at first, and eventually went numb, which frightened her even more. She hoped the ice would break merely by her shivers, but she wasn't strong enough for that. The ice never even cracked.

* * *

The training sessions stopped when she lost her arms. Tao realized his daughter will never be a bender anymore, due to her own incompetence. Now she couldn't even eat on her own, but she didn't want to eat anything, anyway. All she wanted was to lie in her warm, protected bed and never leave.

He wasn't very supportive. All she heard from him was how useless she turned out to be, what a waste of time. If only her mother could see the disappointment she turned out to be. He ought to let her starve on the street like a stray polar-dog.

He once left her plate of leftovers and a glass of water by her bed, as if she could eat it by herself. She was furious, depressed, lethargic, and more than anything, she hated him. She hated the way he talked to her, and his threats, and his drinking, and how he kept blaming her for everything, and if only she could win against him, just this one time –

Her stream of hatred stopped as he noticed a ripple in the glass. She had no idea how, but she was bending.

* * *

Ming Hua took her new training routine very seriously. She was always careful to hide her abilities from Tao. If he knew, she'll be back to the same old sparring nightmare. His slanders were much more tolerable than his attacks.

She got up from her bed and went outside, training where no one could see. Once she could master one stream of water, everything became possible. Life had meaning again. It wasn't just about the simple everyday tasks she could finally do on her own. It became pure, superb bending. By the time she turned fifteen, she could defend herself, attack, climb, make up moves she never thought of before. She even managed to unfreeze and bend an entire lake once, during a full moon.

She became immune to every creative insult Tao had to offer. No matter what, she's a better bender than this pathetic old drunk will ever be.

* * *

She decided to carry up her plan when she turned sixteen. One more minute in that house would be too much, and her bending was definitely good enough by now. She waited for him to fall asleep, remembering the importance of the element of surprise.

"Wake up, Daddy," she said in a soft voice.

"Go back to sleep," he grunted.

She used her water arm to yank him out of his bed, holding him up in the air with three more arms to spare. "A good bender must be ready at all times."

He was frightened and bewildered as she's never seen before. His eyes were wide, his breaths shallow, his body fumbling for a way out. Seeing him this way was far more satisfying than she ever imagined it would be. Payback was something she could only dream of as a helpless child, but finally the tables have turned.

He tried to bend her own water against her, to no avail.

"You're very good," he said quickly, realizing what's about to come. "I was wrong. I'm sorry. Let me train you. You'll be even better than you already are!"

"That's not what I came here for. I just wanted you to see your old dream came true."

"I'm so proud of you."

It was probably the first nice thing he ever said to her. A person in danger would do and say anything to save their life.

She used some of her water to envelop him, slowly turning it into ice, entrapping him from the shoulders down.

"Try to get yourself out," she smirked, giving him a few seconds for his lost battle. No bender in history could break away without use of their arms. No one except for her. "Cold, isn't it?"

"Yes – very cold – I'm sorry, if only there was something I could do – "

"You could be happy I'm not letting you freeze to death," she smiled.

"You're not?" there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

For a moment she considered walking away, leaving him to his miserable existence. But why? What did he ever do to deserve her mercy? He never spared her when she was young and helpless.

"No. your death will be more humane," she said as she stuck the ice dagger into his neck, watching as the ice turned red, listening to his final gasps.

* * *

Covering it up was easy. All she had to do was make up a story of some thieves who went after her mother's ancient jewels. Even the great Chief Sokka didn't imagine Tao's poor, crippled daughter is capable of anything so sinister.

A few days later, she got on a ship to the Earth Kingdom to start her new life without him.

The perpetrators were never found.


	6. My Friends

The training center was their favorite place in the city. It was a run-down building, but it had a field laced with earth and some water, and that's all they needed. They met there every day, training against one another or taking on some other poor group who was brave enough to challenge them. Zaheer and P'li made him a better earthbender by pushing him to his limit. Zaheer wasn't even a bender, and yet Ghazan never managed to hit him, not even once. And P'li, well, she was a whole other case. He was lucky to be alive after a session with her.

He saw them from a distance, squinting his eyes to see better. There was another girl with them, and her silhouette seemed odd. Was it just his imagination or did she have no arms at all? What could she possibly be doing in a place like this?

"Ghazan, meet Ming Hua. I thought we could do better with even teams," Zaheer put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Okay," he raised an eyebrow. "So you're a…"

"Waterbender," she said curtly, scowling at him. He averted his eyes.

"The two of you start, we'll join you later," P'li said as she and Zaheer went to sit in the sidelines, giggling. Sometimes he thought they should just get a room and stay in it. What the hell were they doing, leaving him with a tiny crippled girl he didn't even know? How could he fight her without breaking her to bits?

"I've never fought an earthbender before." It was said as a mere statement, but he was sure she's absolutely terrified.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "I won't hurt you."

"I know," she smirked, water from every basin in the area literally _floating _to her, forming long, fluid arms.

He shook off his initial shock, ignored the obvious warning sign, and made the first move. It was an easy one. Noriko used it to train him when he was just a kid. He stomped, making the earth between them crack slowly. It might shake her out of balance, at worst.

Before he knew what the hell was happening, she sent her water prosthesis upwards, hanging from the ceiling, _flying _towards him. If he hadn't stepped aside at the very last second, she would have kicked his head off his shoulders. As she swooped by him, she sent one of her arms to his foot, hanging him upside down before he could do anything about it. The water was cold, but the humiliation burned like a thousand fires. He bended a rock to cut the stream, thus falling flat on his back in a loud thud.

"Thanks for not hurting me," she smiled sweetly, her feet still not touching the ground, as Zaheer and P'li approached them. The enormous firebender could hardly breathe while laughing so hard, and even her overly poised boyfriend couldn't suppress a grin.

"You know, Guru L – "

"Don't you dare Laghima me right now."

" – Laghima said that appearance – "

"Shut up."

" – is a mere deception of the physical world."

* * *

His daily routine hardly ever changed; he'd get up, steal whatever he needs from the market where his sister works, then meet P'li and Zaheer for some training. Once they had enough, they'd always go back to his house – since the other two lived in a dump much worse than his – for some food and rest.

The only flaw in his otherwise-perfect day was that they always passed by during Kuei's patrol.

Kuei, one of the single coppers sent by a useless royal, was a policeman only by title. He enjoyed extorting money from the poor, abusing the helpless, and trying to get Ghazan in jail while simultaneously flirting with his sister.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" He approached them, examining Ming Hua and her water tentacles. "You're new. What are you doing with these three criminals?"

"We're innocent until proven guilty," Ghazan said with a lopsided grin.

"And you _will _be, just you wait. So how'd you lose your arms?"

"I forgot where I left them," she said monotonously.

Ghazan did wonder the same thing from the first moment he saw her, but at least he had the common courtesy to avoid the subject. Despite his shameful loss, he liked their newest group member. She was silent, sulking, and bitter, but so was P'li when they just rescued her. By now he could recognize that all she needs is some time and company. He enjoyed the dichotomy between her gloomy, ordinary self, and the careless, confident girl she became the moment she stepped on the field. Besides, being a third wheel to Zaheer and P'li's love-bicycle was about to make him lose his mind.

"You should mind your own business. As you can see, we're not stealing anything at the moment, so why won't we just keep this up tomorrow? Go bother someone who actually believes you have some authority."

"Yes, I'll go do that. And why won't you, in the meantime, try to learn metalbending? It might come in handy when you finally get arrested. I bet if you try _really _hard and believe in yourself, you'll make it for sure! Now I gotta go, I've got a big date tonight," he gave the most obnoxious grin Ghazan has ever seen in his life, raising his eyebrows.

"…No fucking way."

* * *

Kuei had a thing for Noriko ever since he started working on their street, but apparently, the _be a jerk to your crush's brother _technique didn't work. Not until now.

"I heard you hit your head really hard at work today," he told her as he leaned on her bedroom wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Who told you that? My head's fine," she tied her hair in a bun. Getting primped up for a date with his nemesis. Disgusting.

"Why else would you date this asshole?"

"I don't know, maybe because he's actually nice to me, attractive, and has a steady job? You could learn a thing or two from him."

"Like taking advantage of the weak and abusing power?"

"Like not stealing or hanging around with freaky friends. I told you a hundred times what I think of them. They're no good, they'd end up imprisoned or on the streets, and I don't want this to happen to you. Instead of listening to your much wiser sister and ditch them, you do the _exact opposite _and add another one to your collection of runaways. So why should I respect your opinion, when you don't give a shit about mine?"

"Okay, that's a good point. But I still hate this guy."

* * *

It took him a long, long time, but Kuei finally managed to catch Ghazan red-handed. Before he knew it, he was already in a wooden cell at the police station.

Sure, he could fight and easily defeat this pathetic excuse of a bender, but what would that give him? A life as a fugitive? He didn't want to throw everything away, and his sentence shouldn't be very long, considering he only got caught stealing four apples. How bad could prison get, anyway?

A few hours later, Noriko showed up, escorted by an officer, her eyes red and puffy, the tears still visible on her face. Seeing her this way broke him more than any prison cell.

"I told you, I fucking _told you _every single day to stop. I don't know what I've ever done wrong to get you into this mess, or why you kept insisting so hard on ignoring me, but here we are."

"I'm sorry, but you know why I kept stealing. Your job hardly covered our breakfast, and I didn't want us to get hungry."

"No, you just like being a rebel. You could have done anything – get a job, join the Dai Li, become a fucking pro bender for all I care – but you decided to be a petty thief," she said angrily, wiping her nose with a handkerchief. "I talked Kuei into getting you out, but he only agreed if you leave this city."

"Oh." Leaving his friends would be heartbreaking, but at least he had his sister. "Don't worry, starting over is hard, but we could go anywhere you like. I'll do all the packing, I promise."

"No, Ghazan. _You're _starting over. I have a life here, and that's where I'll stay," she said as the officer opened the door to his cell, leaving them on their own. He was so amazed he just kept standing there.

"You're choosing him over me?" He asked quietly.

"We're about to get married. He has a house in the Upper Ring, and he listens to me - "

He stared coldly at her, trying to figure out if this was all some kind of a test or a cruel joke. His own sister – the one who taught him earthbending and tucked him into bed at night, would prefer a pretty house and a scumbag husband over her own blood. It made him sick to his stomach. She didn't even leave because he was stealing, she left because he got caught.

Without a final hug or even a goodbye, he left the most important person in his life behind. He didn't need that hypocrite. Noriko kept lecturing him of morals, but ate his food. She preached him of justice, and was about to marry a criminal in uniform. He's better off without her, but it still hurt. Now he'd have to move on his own, with no one he knew wherever it is he's headed.

No matter where he goes, he'll never find friends as good as they are.

* * *

He went to the crumbling hut Zaheer, Ming Hua and P'li shared. It was hardly big enough to fit the four of them, but he had to say goodbye, and tell them why he was forced to leave them.

"I'm not surprised," Ming Hua said once he explained his messy situation. "Family is untrustworthy. Blood's not thicker than water."

Zaheer whispered something to P'li, both smiling excitedly. "If you're going away, we're coming with you."

"You are?" He asked, unable to keep himself from simpering like an idiot. So everything would stay nearly the same as it was. He'll have his friends with him, which already took a load off his chest. Now all he had to do was get over that bitch he once called a sister.

"Sure," she grinned, resting her head on Zaheer's shoulder. "I don't mind leaving, and Zaheer adores the nomadic life."

"I bet we're going to hear all about the perks of homelessness our entire way there," Ghazan laughed.

"You know me so well. How about you, Ming Hua?"

She just shrugged. "This place sucks anyway."

His friends didn't have much, but they were willing to drop it all and leave, just so they could keep being with him. Suddenly he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. It's an interesting experience, when he came to think about it. It's going to be fun.

Noriko can go fuck herself. He found a new family, and for them, he'll do anything.

* * *

Every time he set foot in Ba Sing Se, it was an entirely different city, and he was an entirely different man. So much can change in so little time. This time around, he was standing in the capitol of anarchy. No more corrupted officers or tyrant royals.

He and Ming Hua stood in front of a small, deserted house in the outskirts of the Middle Ring. Just the two of them now, with P'li gone and Zaheer captured without ever getting out.

Most residents of this area fled during the post-regicide riots. Some of the houses were burnt or crumbled, but this one was in a fairly decent state.

"What are you doing?" She asked in horror as he picked her up in his arms, crossing the threshold.

"It's just some crap for good luck," he shrugged and kissed her, his lips lingering on hers. "Welcome home."


	7. Happiness Loves Company

Ghazan noticed that Ming Hua has changed during their days together – she smiled more often, used less sarcasm, and wasn't as bitter. The wall she had built around her somehow disappeared. He had a real talent in breaking down walls.

He loved the new Ming Hua, just as he loved the old one. It was their happiest time – being hidden from the outside world, safe in their own stolen fortress, not needing anything but each other's company.

The mornings were the only time of day where they were both fully dressed. He went off to get their daily food supply, wearing his long-sleeved, high-collared shirt, even in the scorching summer heat. She stayed in to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, wearing a long navy dress.

She made everything in his life different. Instead of sleeping on the rock-solid ground, they now shared the same down-filled mattress, and he woke up with her hair nearly blocking his airway. Neither of them was a very good cook, but the food seemed nearly irrelevant when they made it together. And the _baths _– she could turn those into an extravagance of waterbending, not to mention the sex.

Everything was going so well. Maybe soon they might even have a tiny anarchist of their own. Ming Hua would make a great mother, in her own sort of way. After growing up in such a messed-up family like hers, she'll probably know all the things she _shouldn't _do. As for him, he'll be the cool dad, providing the kid with great girl-advice, like _don't confess your love for about a decade or so, and be very awkward about it._

Sometimes on his daily route, he'd enjoy walking passed the tear he made in the inner wall, just to see the people walking in and out whenever they please, with no one to boss them around anymore. It was an intoxicating feeling of freedom. He knew that eventually, the Earth Kingdom will get itself back into order, and some other despot will rebuild the wall he so carefully destroyed. But for now, he had that accomplishment, and no one could take it away from him.

As he watched the free people go by, there was one who caught his eye. Straight black hair streaked with grey, a constant frown, sad brown eyes staring right into his. He could see the look of recognition and surprise on her face before he averted his gaze and turned the other way, walking as quickly as he could to avoid her. What was she doing going to the Lower Ring, anyway?

"Ghazan, wait! I know it's you," She called after him. Just what he needed, his name echoing through the streets. It's best to just get it over with. He turned to the nearest alley, waiting for her to catch up. He knew what needs to be done, but how could he kill his own sister?

She caught up quickly, as he stood there, ready to defend himself. To his surprise, she threw her arms around him, hugging him closely, as if she never gave up on him so easily.

"I thought I'll never see you again. It's been so long."

"Whose fault it that?" he asked dryly, but returned the hug nonetheless. He could deny it all he wants, but he missed her.

"I'm sorry, but you have to admit I was right about everything. Your life would have turned out different if it weren't for those three," she sat on the ground, and he decided to sit across from her. He had dreamed of this moment for years, of finally telling her what a backstabbing bitch she is, letting her know she meant absolutely nothing to him anymore, even though he never really forgot her.

"Those three were there when you weren't. I wouldn't trade them for some crappy job and a big fancy house, but I know how much _you _care for real estate," he gave her his most sarcastic smile.

"I didn't leave you for a house; I did it because you never listened to anything I said, and I got tired of it."

"You just kept saying the same thing over and over again," he rolled his eyes. "I won't change my life entirely just because you wanted me to."

"And I won't, either. Isn't asking me to uproot my whole life the same as me asking you to leave your precious gang?" She smiled sadly. "I never wanted you to leave. You should be grateful I even managed to get you out of there without serving time. Not that it mattered, with all your years in a fucking dungeon. I can't believe you turned out so… evil."

He hated to admit it, but she did have a point. They had a long history of ignoring each other's wishes. He only did whatever he wanted, without ever thinking what she has to say about it, just like she did by marrying her asshole husband.

"You only think it's evil because you don't understand. It's idealistic," he grinned. "And I retired."

"So trying to kill the Avatar twice, assassinating a queen, killing who-knows-how-many civilians and throwing an entire city into chaos is not evil?"

"Creating chaos was the whole point, and we just tried to kidnap her the first time."

"Oh, alright. That makes everything so much better."

"What good are these walls, separating people on the account of something as worthless as money? Why bother having a queen who only takes care of herself? Come on, look how happy they all are now!"

"Kuei's dead," she said quietly. "He probably got killed by a mob during the riots. They only found his mutilated body a few days later. He's the fucking father of my children, and he's dead because of something that _you _did. I don't have any money, they stole all my things, I barely managed to keep my own home – I've got mouths to feed! What am I supposed to do now?"

Somehow, all he could get from that was, _she had kids? _That option didn't even cross his mind during his prison years. Maybe the thought of little Kueis running around was too much for him to bear.

"Take this for now," he handed her the groceries he obtained. "I'll take care of you. Meet me here tomorrow and I'll get more. You're better off without him."

"I really loved him." She took the food reluctantly, knowing exactly how he got it. Old habits die hard – when she needed something, she always took it, no matter what.

"I'll make it up to you," he put his hand on her shoulder. "Your kids won't get hungry, I promise."

"I'm never going to get over what you've done. Reading about all the attacks in the papers, knowing it was you who did those terrible things… but I'm glad you're back. We've been away for too long. I shouldn't have been so harsh," she hugged him again.

* * *

He returned to his new home, feeling quite content. Patching things up with Noriko was something he gave up long ago, and all of a sudden, he had both her and Ming Hua in his life. Funny how things can turn out so perfectly after years of misery. It'll be just like the good old days – getting Noriko her food, being a part of her life, and spending the rest of his time with his closest friend.

It couldn't get any better than that.

* * *

Mako sat by the radio, filling out his ordinary paperwork. One burglary, two robberies – a relatively slow day. He snapped out of his bored haze as he heard a distorted voice through the radio.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

"I copy, over," he said, willing to take off at a second's notice.

"I have to speak to the Avatar immediately, I'm – " there was a pause. "Ghazan's sister."

"Sorry for your loss, but the Avatar will not reimburse – "

"I didn't lose him."


	8. Fortune Faded

**A/N: I just want to thank dear Lady Elvira. As Guru Laghima said - without her, there will be no fic.**

Their life together had been so perfect. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck every night when they finally went to sleep. They kissed, and cuddled, and he kept saying the sweetest things to her. They spent the majority of their day together, and the entire night. She was happy, and it frightened her. Without her realizing it, she did what all happy people do – lowered her defenses.

Whenever he left for his daily trips, she had that little fear nesting in the back of her head that he might not return. It didn't help that his trips grew much longer in the last few days. But when he did return, he'd kiss her neck and tell her how much he missed her and of the beautiful chaos happening outside, and she'd forget she was ever worried in the first place.

During the full moon, she insisted that they'd make the best of the occasion. It's been too long since she bended properly, and she refused to give up the opportunity to make him eat dirt, no matter how she felt for him. So they wandered around until they found a quiet riverbend. They sparred like the old days, without holding back. He couldn't use his lavabending out in the open, but she knew it wouldn't matter – she'd defeat him anyway. With the combination of the moon and a large source of water, nobody could beat her. Except maybe a lightning bender.

"Did you just bring me out here to kick my ass?" He asked during their break, his arms wrapped around her as always.

"I could have kicked your ass at home as well, but I didn't want to break anything," she smiled.

This is the life for her. All she needed was him and some water. "I love you," she said accidentally. Somehow it just slipped. He must have drugged her tea or something, as she never would have said it in her right mind.

He seemed rather amused by it, looking at her with his usual grin, like the whole world is one big joke to him. She bended a stream out of the river to splash him in his dumb, simpering face.

"Alright, I love you too," he laughed. "As if you didn't already know."

They slept in the next day. Again, they woke up with her nestled in his arms. Again, they both put on their clothes, he kissed her, and went to get some food. Again, she started practicing the finer parts of her bending.

But this time something was different.

A few moments after he left, she could hear shouts, grunts and hits. It was a fight, and a big one, at that.

The earth fell beneath her feet as she peeked through her window and saw Ghazan cornered, battling about fifteen people. He was fiercely fighting on his little island of earth, surrounded by a moat of lava to keep his enemies at bay. She recognized most of these people – the pitiful grey-haired waterbender was no threat, but Tenzin was, and so were the other airbenders around him. The metalbenders from Zaofu were there as well, along with Kuvira, but Ghazan could handle those. An unfamiliar sense of fear pierced her as she saw the lightning bender. He was creeping up on Ghazan from an alley, sending a surge of fire at his back.

She loved fighting, terrorizing her enemies, forcing them into surrender. But this hardly constituted as a fair fight. They didn't stand a chance, but if they're going down, they're going together.

In less than a second, every drop of water they kept in their home surged to her body, forming two long tentacles to sustain her. She used one to push herself through the window, landing with her back to Ghazan's, and the other to block out the fire.

She could see his golden eyes widen in surprise as he saw her, then narrow back as he sent a strike of lightning towards her. She detached part of her water in order to block the attack without getting electrocuted again, but she couldn't keep this up much longer. A metal wire was tied around her leg, and she managed to cut herself loose with an ice blade before they could pull her out. The attacks kept coming, each rival distracting her from the last one.

"To the death?" Ghazan asked, raising a wall of earth around them.

She didn't know what to say.

"Switch," she said eventually. Another strike of lightning would be too much for her, and she won't put herself to the mercy of some teenager. She'd rather forfeit than lose to him again.

They quickly switched places, and she stood on her toes to see beyond the wall, examining her new rivals. Now she got the younger, more annoying brother and the airbenders. The wall defended her against the airbenders' attacks, but apparently, the kid could lavabend now. Luckily for her, she's been sparring with a master lavabender for decades.

She managed to stop every stream of lava he threw at her, but the airbenders kept blocking out her attacks, cutting her water. When the kid bended their own wall against her, she didn't have time to dodge. The hard rock hit her stomach, throwing her off her feet. She caught a glimpse of Ghazan's worried face as she got up using her water and aimed another strike at him, the rush of the fight distracting her from the pain. But with the wall missing, the airbenders could now attack freely. The water failed to block out the wind, and before she realized it, she was slammed into Ghazan, both of them sent flying through whatever was left of his protective wall. They were milliseconds away from being boiled alive by lava when she managed to wrap her arm around Ghazan and pull them up to stand on the roof of their once-peaceful home.

She looked at the battleground from above, blocking another attack from Kuvira. Fucking _Kuvira._

She had to think fast. One thing she knew for sure – she didn't want to die. Not when everything became so unbelievably good. She couldn't give up on him, and she definitely didn't want to go back to that volcanic hell, with no hope of seeing him ever again.

"It's over! Surrender yourselves or we're coming to get you," the metalbender shouted.

Ghazan already took his stance, but she spoke before he managed to attack.

"We surrender."


	9. Twisting And Turning

"Drop your water and get off the roof," the metalbender said in an authoritative voice. Ming Hua didn't like authority figures. She didn't budge and kept her water, just in case.

"What are you doing?" Ghazan looked horrified. She could tell what was going through his head – returning to prison was an unbearable thought, especially when they got a taste of everything life had to offer. All she could do is to give him her _trust me _stare.

She scanned her rivals thoroughly. In the heat of the moment, she never noticed that one person was missing. Where was she? Did she have something better to do? Is the Avatar taking a nap while her army of lackeys does all the hard work?

"We surrender," she repeated loudly, carefully considering her words. "But you won't accomplish anything by arresting us. We retired from the Order, and we mean no harm to the Avatar. You'll be treating a symptom, while the disease rages on. There are members of the Red Lotus everywhere, and you'll never find them. If you do, it'll be too late."

She could see them exchanging words, but they were too quiet for her to hear at such a distance. At least it meant she got their attention, as no one tried attacking her yet. They could use this moment to run, but it would ruin everything, and the airbenders will quickly catch up. Instead, she stayed put, looking at the metalbender from Zaofu.

"You were fooled by Aiwei. He was your friend and councilor, and you had no idea. Don't you want to know who else is outsmarting you?" She smiled eerily. "There are other people close to you, and they're just waiting for the right time to strike."

"That's impossible," she said, but her eyes widened in alarm. "I've personally investigated every single – "

"I'll tell you who it is," she perched on the ledge, making them see she's not afraid anymore. High places made her feel safer, and for now, there was no immediate danger. She had leverage, and she wasn't afraid to use it. "If you arrest us, we'll stay forever silent, but if you let us live our lives peacefully, I'll give you ten names. The highest-ranking members. You'll be surprised to see how far they've gone without anyone suspecting them."

"She's lying," the lightning bender said. "It's a trick. I bet you're just going to call out random names."

"I figured you'd say that, which is why I'll give you one extra name for free," she kept smiling as if she had everything under control, as if she weren't at the mercy of a dozen people who hate her. She stared into the metalbender's eyes. "Kuvira."

"That's not true, she probably heard my name somehow – "

"Come on, Kuvira. How else would I know your mission started eight years ago? That's when you joined the metal clan, before you could even bend metal. You wanted to avenge your parents, Jian and Shun, both former members, executed for high treason. Clearly, you never told that to anyone. Your cover story was – what was that, again?" She turned to Ghazan, who didn't seem very cooperative. "That your parents died during a raid and their names were Wei and Fen."

The two metalbenders turned on the exposed traitor at the blink of an eye. Poor Kuvira had ambition, but she was no match for these two.

"Did you lose your mind?" Ghazan whispered to her as they fought.

"I don't owe them a thing. They never cared for us, and I'm done keeping their secrets," she watched Beifong's daughter lead Kuvira away.

"You're telling the truth now," Tenzin said, stroking his beard, "but it might be part of a more elaborate plan."

"The only plan you should be worried about is _theirs_," she said, trying to figure out some way to prove she's worthy of his trust after nearly killing him and everyone he knew. "They're scheming to wipe out the Avatar as we speak. Don't you want to protect Korra?"

"We'll protect her from _you_," the lightning bender grunted.

"Where is she? I want to talk to her directly. Or do you not trust her to make her own choices?" she jumped off the roof, landing softly with her arms. She was flattered to see every single one of them tense up, afraid of what she might do.

"Fine," Tenzin said. "Surrender your water and we'll take you. She's not far away."

There was something strange about how easy it was to persuade him. She wasn't a master of manipulation like Zaheer; there's no way he truly trusted her, and giving away her water was more than dangerous. Then again, it's not like she could win a fight against all of them, even if she had an entire lake.

She eyed Ghazan, still standing above them. It was the longest time he's been this quiet. "Are you coming or what?"

He jumped, cracking the earth as his feet landed sturdily on the ground. "You better know what you're doing. I am _not _going back there," there was something about his stare she couldn't figure out.

She passed her water to the pathetic waterbender just as she'd pass them to a novice child. Ghazan was handcuffed in chains, and didn't seem too happy about it, to say the least. As for her, they didn't need chains – with no water, she was completely useless, vulnerable and exposed.

Strangely, this was never how she thought their lives together would play out. They were dead to the world. She hardly ever stepped outside, and Ghazan was always covered from head to toe. Has anyone seen them spar the other night, or was it by pure coincidence that they managed to find them?

Regardless of how their little bubble burst, she still had to get them both out of this, alive and free. She might get a chance with the Avatar, who seemed to be more selfless than logical. After Zaheer's double-cross, getting her trust won't be easy, but it sure is possible. Maybe then, somehow, everything will go back to normal.

"You can talk to her right after she takes away your bending," the boy said as he led her off.


	10. Redefine The Line

No bending.

This option was far worse than prison – at least there she had a fraction of hope. What will she do without it? She must never be this vulnerable again.

When she first lost her arms, she was imprisoned in her own body, forced to rely on her so-called father to do everything for her, but her bending gave her a shot at a brand new life. She perfected it into a fine art form, reaching her level of expertise with nothing but diligence and perseverance. She'll never let the Avatar take it away from her, no matter the cost.

They were led into a deserted house not far from their own.

She glanced at Ghazan, who seemed broken. He didn't give her any reassuring stare. No, he just kept looking away from her, while she was desperate to cling to him, feel his arms around her again. The sight of him in chains was so unnerving. It seemed as if the iron was burning into his flesh. She vowed to get him out of the mess she created. If it were up to him, the two of them would have died in a blaze of fire and glory, but she wanted a life. More accurately, a life with him.

Tenzin went in first, leaving them staring at a closed door. She assumed he was catching her up with the recent events, including her offer. Eventually she was led into the room while Ghazan was left out, heavily guarded. She was in this alone.

For the second time that day, she was utterly surprised. Her question has been answered – the Avatar didn't fight them simply because she couldn't.

The contrast was nearly incomprehensible – the powerful Avatar who broke her own chains, and the pitiful girl sitting in front of her. She should have considered the poison would take its toll on her. Korra was strong, but apparently, not immune. For a second she wondered if that information would have changed anything.

"Let's get started," Korra rose from her chair heavily, and Ming Hua was forced onto her knees.

"Wait!" She said, unable to hide the sheer panic in her voice. "Tenzin told you about our deal, right? I won't speak if you take our bending away. You'll never hear a word from me."

The Avatar put her hand on Ming Hua's forehead.

"I'll give you all of them – everyone I know," she blurted out. "Over twenty people. And I'll teach you – I know techniques that no one else does."

"I don't want you to teach me," she said in pure hatred. "What good is having a teacher who'd aim a giant ice dagger at me as soon as my back is turned?"

"You bended half a mountain at me, so maybe we could call it even."

"We're _not _even," she spat.

"Please - I'll do anything, I promise. Just name it." Ming Hua never begged this way in her life, not even to her father on that cold winter's night. This time was different, though. She knew exactly what's at stake.

The Avatar's hands lingered on her skin for a moment before she let go, crashing back into her chair as if her legs couldn't carry her weight one second longer.

"Anything," she said. "Okay. Let's start with you telling us everything you know. Not just the people – I want rendezvous spots, strategies, past missions, all of it. Once we get enough proof that everything you say is true, I'll let you keep your bending, but I can't ever let you be free. You can get better conditions than you've had before."

The bitch set her up.

The whole thing was an extravagant show to get more out of her, one she hadn't noticed in her massive panic attack. This is exactly why she always had to keep her emotions in check, but she's gotten weak lately. It didn't matter, though. Zaheer and the Red Lotus meant nothing to her anymore.

"As long as Ghazan and I are in the same cell, and he gets the same perks, his bending included. I don't want anyone else to know we're alive, or they'll be coming for us." It was still better than dying, but she definitely couldn't get a better deal. Once Korra saw how frightened she was, Ming Hua lost every advantage she had. The _take-away-your-bending_ threat will always dangle over her head. How could she have been so stupid?

"Fair enough."

"How will I know you're not tricking me into telling you, and once I do you'll end up taking my bending anyway?" She scowled.

"You'll have to trust me. Just like I trusted you to bring back the airbenders when I surrendered myself," she stared at Ming Hua with haunted eyes.

"Or maybe I could tell you half of it now, and the rest in a fortnight, if you follow our terms." She had to at least try it.

"Don't push it," the Avatar said. "You're lucky I'm even listening to you right now."

Ming Hua stood up, preparing herself for the monologue of a lifetime. "Where do you want me to start?"

* * *

**A/N: I want to thank Lady Elvira again for showing me the way.**


	11. Taught By Tragedy

**A/N 1: Thanks to dear Lady Elvira, my beacon of light.**

**A/N 2: I've opened a tumblr page for this fic. If there's anything you want to say\ask, some critique or just about anything else, it's right here. blog/shshir**

It seemed like Ming Hua had been in that room for hours. He had no idea what was happening to her. No one bothered to inform him, and he wasn't going to humiliate himself by asking. All he could do was stand there, bound, and look at the wall. If they were torturing her somehow, he'd probably hear it. Taking away her bending shouldn't have taken this long, either. Whatever it was they were doing, he's going to be next.

He still couldn't believe they were in there. Apparently, a quiet, joyful life just wasn't meant for him, no matter how badly he wanted it.

It was Noriko who betrayed him, he knew that for a fact. He was a fool to trust her so blindly, as if they can suddenly get along and be a family again. She was too selfish, righteous and greedy to truly accept him, but it was her pretense that hurt the most. How could she act like everything was normal, use him as a temporary meal-ticket while letting the Avatar know of his whereabouts? Ming Hua was right – family means nothing. He was delusional to think otherwise.

The love of his life had some faults of her own, though. As soon as things got worse, she was more than willing to throw it all away. Everything they used to believe in, every ideal and action were so easily cast aside. She's loyal to whichever side's more useful to her at the moment. Just like Noriko.

When the door finally opened, Ming Hua walked out, looking exhausted, but she smiled at him like everything was back to normal again.

"I saved us," she mouthed.

He didn't want to know how.

They boarded the airship, off to an unknown destination. At least they weren't transported as cargo, like they were thirteen years ago. This time, they had seats like everybody else, and they were free to roam the small space. It wasn't like they could run or fight anyone, anyway. It's probably going to be a long ride, as they were generous enough to remove his chains for the duration of the trip, and it's all thanks to Ming Hua being a sell-out.

They sat at the most remote corner they could find, along with the novice lavabender. Maybe it was his way of getting back at them for that ride in the truck.

"Hey – Bolin, right? I gotta know how much you paid her."

"Paid who?"

"My sister. Did she get giants sacks of gold for it or was it for a few coins?"

"Korra doesn't have sacks of gold. We didn't pay her anything, she just called us," he shrugged.

So it wasn't even about the money. She didn't rat on him out of greed, she did it for – what, exactly?

"I'd never tell on Mako like that, even if he were a fake-dead fugitive," Bolin kept chattering. "I figured you _have _a sister, but I just assumed she was dead, not that she'd pop out sometime – "

"Ghazan," Ming Hua said in silent fury, "is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Nothing you didn't already figure out."

"You've been meeting her for _days _and didn't say anything?"

"It was pointless, I knew what you would have said," he crossed his arms. He should have listened, though. Trusting Noriko was the biggest mistake he ever made.

"Because you knew I was right!" She didn't yell, but her voice was fearfully deadly. If she had any water, she'd probably attack him one way or the other.

"Sorry for not being able to kill my own family like you did," he rolled his eyes.

"Wait, what?" Bolin looked at her, shrinking in his seat. Ming Hua flashed him her creepiest grin in response. If he weren't so amazingly pissed off, he would have laughed.

"Why won't you leave us alone and let the grown-ups do the talking?" She asked impatiently.

"I have to watch you to make sure you don't talk about evil bad-guy things. It's either me or Mako," he gestured at his brother, silently brooding at them from a distance.

"At least he's quiet," she grunted.

"Ming Hua already talked about everything she could," he said dryly, looking at her. "So much for our thirteen years of silence."

"Will you wake up for once? What good have they ever done for you? You kept all their secrets, but have they bothered getting you out? Unalaq deserted you, Lim took your place, they were all perfectly happy with you rotting away after you failed. You were means to an end," she said coldly. It wasn't anything he didn't already know.

"It's not about the people, it's the cause that matters. You just ruined every shot we had to make a difference."

"There are easier ways to make a difference."

"So you're a democrat now?" He asked dismissively.

"No, I just stopped caring. I liked things as they were," she looked into his eyes. "Didn't you? Wouldn't you have done anything to keep it?"

"Not _that_," he muttered.

"Alright, so dying, getting imprisoned and losing your bending forever are better options for you? I had no idea how much you enjoy living with me."

"You don't understand. It's like I can't even trust you anymore."

"_You're_ the one who kept a giant secret from _me_, idiot. I went ahead and saved your life. I took a chance so we could stay together. You're so fucking loyal to all the wrong people. You chose your backstabbing bitch of a sister over our safety, the Red Lotus means more to you than your own life, but I'm the only one who's ever done anything for you," she narrowed her eyes.

"You forgot about Zaheer, but you don't care about him, either."

"Are you really that stupid? Let's go over this together, slowly. Zaheer can fly because…"

"Of all the Laghima bullshit. I don't need to hear more about this stuff, I've had enough for a lifetime."

"Because he lost his earthly tethers," she ignored him. "He got over P'li in a heartbeat. There was _nothing else _that bound him to the earth," she waited a few seconds. "Don't you get it? You've been friends ever since you were what, thirteen? But you're not a tether. He can fly just as well with you and me around, because we mean nothing to him."

"Ouch," Bolin commented.

Denial was his first reaction. They didn't know how that spiritual crap works. Zaheer was his oldest friend, the one who managed to give him back his freedom. Of course he cared.

"I never had to worry about Zaheer turning against me."

"Don't you dare," she said coldly.

"You betrayed just about every person you've ever known. How can I be sure you won't do that to me once it's convenient enough for you?"

He saw through the restrained rage – something inside her snapped. She kicked his shin with all her might and walked as far away from him as possible.

"Hey, wait, I have to watch both of you!" Bolin called after her, then looked back at him. "I knew I was right about the unspoken attraction thing."

"No one grows a moustache at ten," he agreed absent-mindedly, following her with his gaze.


	12. Loves Her Madly

**I shall thank Lady Elvira till the end of time.**

**Also, tumblr. Mingzan week just started so don't miss out on all the fun. There are going to be some fic-related updates too, and if you want to ask/criticize/whatever, I'm there most of the time. shshir dot tumblr dot com.**

"…I had a crazy girlfriend once too. Now I sort of miss her, but there was this one time she tried to kill Korra because we were about to get married without her even asking me – "

"Where are we going?" Ghazan interrupted. The constant chattering would have been tolerable and even quite amusing if he weren't so distraught. His future is unknown, and so is his present. He was betrayed by both his sister and his friend at the same time, and everything he ever worked for is about to be ruined thanks to the Avatar. He just wasn't in the mood for a one-sided small talk.

"Zaofu. I think Su likes you better after the whole Kuvira thing."

"And then what?"

"Have you ever learned metalbending?" He looked at him hopefully.

"It didn't work out." Luckily, he discovered lava.

"I couldn't, either!" He said excitedly. "So they're probably going to put you in a metal prison, to keep you from, well, you know. Bend."

Ming Hua made the worst deal imaginable. They got to keep their bending, but they'll never have a chance to actually use it. They'll be put out of their element, yet again, to spend another boring eternity as captives. Unless –

"How's the lavabending going? You still suck?" He grinned.

"No. well, sort of, but only because I have to learn it all by myself."

"If only there was someone willing to train you," He smiled warmly. If he could make Bolin want it badly enough, he might affect the Avatar into letting him teach, which also happened to mean he'd be surrounded by earth. Once he is, he could grab Ming Hua and escape when the right moment presents itself. He still remembered where all the tunnels were, and his seismic sense never failed him. Well, except for this morning, when he didn't notice all the damned people stalking him, suspended in mid-air by ropes.

"That's awesome," his eyes widened as he jumped off his seat. "I have to check – I'll be right back, don't go anywhere."

"Actually, I better go find Ming Hua. We've got… issues." He hurt her. Ghazan was hardly ever angry, but when he is, he always says things he later regrets. He _never _should have made that stupid comment. She's been with him through thick and thin. They must have saved each other's lives a dozen times; he knew how she felt for him, she even said it aloud. Of course she'll never turn against him.

The Red Lotus was important to him, but nothing was more important than her, and he went ahead and screwed it up without thinking of the consequences. It was the first time they've ever truly fought beyond the meaningless everyday bicker, and he had no idea how she might take it. Even though he fully disagreed with her actions, he knew she's done everything she could for both of them.

It's not like he could ever go back to being a full-fledged anarchist – he was forced to retire the moment he brought down that cave. Ming Hua was all he had left, and he couldn't let her go, no matter what she does. Even if it meant everything they've done – their training, imprisonment, P'li's death – was in vain. Reality was they were already deep in the mud, and he could be there with her, or suffer alone.

It truly was his fault they were in this mess to begin with. If only he had been more careful, he never would have met Noriko in the first place. If he hadn't been so painfully naïve, she'd be dead by now, and he would still be in his blissful bubble with Ming Hua.

"Mako's supposed to be there, so I guess it's okay," he shrugged and went off to ask his parents for permission.

Ghazan followed her route onto the deck. Indeed, she was talking to her bitter rival, looking as if she's willing to rip his throat open with her teeth. Must have been one ugly conversation.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in reproach as she noticed him.

He put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. "Do you mind giving us a minute?" He turned to Mako. Getting her to forgive him is going to be hard enough as it is without him listening to their every word.

"We don't need a minute. You've already said everything there was to say."

"Not everything. "

"We'll be landing soon anyway," Mako interrupted. "You should go see Beifong to get your chains again."

He hated Mako enough just for nearly killing Ming Hua, but the guy kept piling on more reasons.

Even though she most likely despised him at the moment, he tried to lock eyes with her in an attempt to make his intentions clear.

"You better sleep with one eye open from now on," she said in her most sarcastic tone, looking away as she passed him by. "You can never know when I might turn on you."

Ghazan was more than just the destroyer of walls – he's the destroyer of everything.


	13. This Lonely View

**Thanks, Elvira, for showing me the way. **

Ming Hua left Ghazan with Bolin, who seemed to be more in love with him than she is. She walked up the stairs that lead to the deck for a breath of fresh air. She needed some time to let everything sink in, and that would be the perfect place for it – secluded and high above the ground. The only thing that got in her way was the door.

It would have been a simple task if she had some water, but the Avatar and her servants seemed hell-bent on making her life dry and miserable. She stood in front of it, helpless once again. She was about to turn back when he showed up. Of all the passengers of this cursed airship, fucking Mako opened the door for her.

"I don't need your help," she muttered.

"Open it by yourself, then," he said dryly.

That idiot.

She slithered in before it could close and stepped near the ledge, letting the breeze wash over her. It somehow helped to block out his annoying presence, and she had to calm herself down. Her emotions got the better of her throughout the whole day, and so far, it caused nothing but harm.

Ghazan was the one who got them into this mess, and he dares blaming her for getting them out. His sister had always been a bitch, so how could he cover for her for so long? Their supposed death was their greatest asset, and once he gave that up, they were at her mercy. It was no surprise she decided to throw her own brother aside, twice. Ming Hua has only been around Noriko for a few weeks, but it never seemed like she actually loves Ghazan. Her actions spoke louder than her words – she _left _him. Who in their right mind would ever give up on him? If Ming Hua ever sees her again, she'd kill her. Slowly.

"Are you going to jump?" blocking out his presence got harder once he started talking.

"I would never," she said, as if horrified. "That'd be a violation of my parole. Why, are you that eager to watch me die?" If they were flying over the ocean, she could have jumped. The water would protect her. She could bend a nice bubble to keep her safe in the depths, but there were some disadvantages to that plan – Ghazan wouldn't have been there, and Mako could just fry her again.

"No," he said somewhat awkwardly, "but I know you're up to something fishy."

"How fishy of me to take in some fresh air before I go back to prison. You're a born detective."

"That's not what I meant – why did you make that deal to begin with? It's not like the four of you ever stick to your word. You're going to turn on Korra again, and when you do, I'll be ready."

"Let me tell you something that might surprise you. The _three_ of us are, in fact, individual people, with different personalities," she approached him and whispered in his ear. "I'm nothing like Zaheer."

She smirked as he quickly took a step back. It's always nice to see she's being feared even without her arms.

"Whatever it is you're planning, I'll make you regret it. I've defeated you once, and I can do it again."

Unfortunately, he was right, but she'll never admit it out loud. "Are we keeping score now? If we are, you're still on the losing side. You got lucky _once_, with one trick hidden up your sleeve. It won't work again."

"Then why did you refuse to fight me back on the street?" He asked, seeming awfully proud of himself. Asshole.

"We were outnumbered nearly ten to one. Do you think that indicates anything?" She raised an eyebrow. "Give me some water and you'll see just how willing I am to fight you."

"But that would be a violation of your parole," he dared to take one step closer. "You enjoy making people fear you because it makes you feel stronger, but I have you figured out. You're just pathetic, pitiful and sad."

She looked right into his eyes, piercing them with her stare.

"Then why are you so afraid?"

Truth be told, he was half-right on this one. After all the useless pity she got from bystanders during her time in the tribe, being feared was a refreshing change – it meant people knew just how strong she really is, and what she was capable of doing. At the moment it wasn't much, though. Her entire being depended on water.

Ghazan entered before Mako could answer. Seeing him was reassuring, but she didn't want to listen to anything he had to say. If he just showed up to blame her again for doing her best for them, she's not interested. Even if he came to apologize, how could she forgive him so soon?

If he ever considered she might turn against him someday, he didn't know her at all. She will always be there for him, no matter what. Even when she saw him fighting outside of their house, surrounded, she had the option to abandon him and save herself, hide somewhere or run out the back. No one ever noticed she was there until she chimed in to save him from getting incarcerated – by Mako's reaction, it seemed like they didn't even know she's still alive. Leaving him was unimaginable to her, let alone hurting him.

"You better sleep with one eye open from now on," she didn't even want to look at him. "You can never know when I might turn on you."

They arrived at Zaofu, its vast metal compounds glowing dimly in the twilight. Lin Beifong grabbed her shoulders as she led her out. She hated being paraded around like that. All that was missing for it to become even more degrading was a leash. They were surrounded by guards, in case she miraculously manages to summon water from the heavens.

"Your cell is this way. It's not much, but it's probably better than your last one," she said.

"A bed of nails is better than my last one."

She glanced back, expecting to see Ghazan right behind her. Even though she still resented him, she needed him by her side, especially at a time like this. To her surprise, he was being taken to the opposite direction. She halted, resisting Beifong's nudge.

"Why isn't he coming with us? My deal clearly stated we have to be in the same cell."

"Your deal isn't valid until the information you provided is confirmed. We can't keep you two together for now."

She couldn't stop staring at his back, drifting further apart from her. She was such an idiot for not talking to him while she had the chance. He'll never cooperate with them, never show any sign of remorse, and they heard him on the airship – he's still an anarchist, and always will be. They might not let her see him again.


	14. Be My Very Own Constellation

**Let's praise thanks to Elvira once more, you know, for ideas and stuff.**

It was the first time Ghazan has ever killed anyone.

Somehow he thought that every mission the Red Lotus throws at them would go by smoothly and successfully, but this time something went terribly wrong. He never saw himself as a killer. A thief, sure. Stealing was easy, and the damage he made could never be compared to taking a life.

Zaheer and P'li wouldn't understand – his spiritual mumbo-jumbo and her dedication to everything Red-Lotus-related made killing too easy for them. He was dedicated too, obviously, but he couldn't push away the guilt.

He waited for the two of them to run off to the sound-proof tent he made for them in order to talk to the only person he knew would understand. She sat right across from him, the flames accentuating the sharp angles of her face. It was surprisingly beautiful.

"Do you ever feel guilty about your dad?"

"Never," she looked at him for a moment. "Should I be?"

"I don't know. He was a bad person, but he was still your father. You could have just ran away and leave him behind."

"But then he'll send people looking for me. _My poor crippled daughter has gone missing, she can't do a thing on her own! Please help me find her! _I'd have to spend the rest of my life running away from him. The good thing about dead people is that they keep quiet," she circled around the fire, sitting next to him. "If your sentry had lived, you know he would have told everyone exactly what he saw. The four of us stand out in a crowd. Once the police start looking for us, it won't take long until they find us."

"There should have been a way around it. I didn't _have _to kill him. I didn't even mean to."

"He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You're going to kill a lot of people from now on - it's a secret organization meant to establish a new order. It's going to require some sacrifices, so you better get used to it. If you wanted a calm and peaceful life you should have become an acupuncturist," she laughed.

He didn't know whether he should be terrified of her or kiss her.

* * *

Ghazan wasn't surprised to see Ming Hua's deal fall to shambles. That sort of thing never works out. His little metallic box was even worse than the cage he had on the ship – now he couldn't even see the stars through the small crack. The metal boiled him alive during the day and froze him at night.

There were interrogations, too. They hackled him for hours, trying to get him to confirm or disprove Ming Hua's stories. He never said a word, and to his surprise, they didn't torture him for it.

On his second night he had not one, but two visitors.

"Ghazan, guess what!" Bolin said with his overly-enthusiastic smile, contrasted by Lin's ever-sullen expression.

"You're busting me out of here?"

"Not exactly - we can train together! At first everyone asked, _are you out of your mind_? And Mako said, _Bolin, he tried to burry you alive twice, why would you want to train with him?_ And I said that if we're going after the Red Lotus I better step up with my lavabending, and you're the only one who could teach me, so eventually they agreed. "

"Here are the rules," Lin said in a tone that was supposed to intimidate him. "You're going to be outnumbered, constantly. If you ever try anything, one move out of place, I will personally hunt you down. And you could never know what might happen to Ming Hua."

He knew she was bluffing. They didn't hurt him when they wanted him to talk, so why would they hurt her for doing nothing at all? She might be going out of her mind, but she's safe physically. And if anyone ever lays a finger on her, he'll bury them himself.

"Where is she?"

"That's confidential."

"Is she in a cell like this one?" They knew he'll never run without her. She could be in the box right next to his, or halfway across Zaofu, and he'll have no way to find out where. He was eaten by guilt for what he said to her, wondering if he ever gets to make everything right. That's not how he wanted to say goodbye to her.

"Maybe," Bolin said in a pseudo mysterious voice. Ghazan soon realized he's not going to get much out of them, but a good practice was fine, too.

They didn't handcuff him on their way to the field, but they were escorted by a giant flock of guards. As if it weren't enough, it turned out they have an audience – some members of the metal clan just had to watch two lavabenders at work. He won't be able to run away anytime soon.

Once he felt the earth beneath his feet, every single one of his problems vaporized. It was a heavenly sensation, one that made him feel alive again. He didn't even mind he was helping Bolin defeat his precious Order – once they had all their secrets, one more lavabender wouldn't make any difference.

Bolin was actually pretty decent, better than their last time in the cave. Ghazan considered letting the boy win their first fight, but he was no cheater. By the time their session was over he already had Bolin on his back.

"That was awesome!" Bolin said as he got up and bowed to him. It was weird. No one's ever done that to him before. He bowed back, probably doing it wrong. This kind of formalities was never his thing.

"I got you pretty bad," he grinned, examining Bolin's scraped skin. "You could use a healer."

"I guess, but Korra and Kya aren't in Zaofu."

"Ming Hua could heal that in a second," he said casually.

"Oh, no. Nope, not going to happen. No. I rather suffer in silence. "

"Can you do _anything_ in silence?" He punched his shoulder. Three of the guards immediately sprung into action, loosening up when they realized it was a false alarm.

"How can she heal, anyway? I thought she's only capable of killing things."

"That's her forte, but she's a decent healer too." She did manage to fully recover from that lightning wound. "Look, I know she can come off a bit strong, but you can't keep her locked up. She's not any more dangerous than I am, and training against her could really improve your bending."

"We get what you're trying to do," one of the guards said. He was probably some captain, by the ridiculous amount of metal he was wearing. "She's staying where she is, and it's time for you to go back where you belong."

What was it with these metalbenders and their delusions of grandeur? And why did they always have to clad themselves in these stupid armors? A well-aimed rock to the chest would hurt just as bad, no matter how many metal plates they have on.

He couldn't make peace with the thought of her sitting there alone, all day, every day. She deserved better. She's done everything to help him, and in a strange way it even partially worked, but what has _he_ done to get her out of her crisis?

"What has to happen for her to get out?" He asked Beifong as they escorted him back to his miserable box.

"Her information has to check out. We need to know she's not bluffing just to buy herself some time. Until then, she's a prisoner like any other."

He was no cop, but he knew how they think. Ghazan has never heard Ming Hua's confession, and they were never left alone to get their stories straight.

The Red Lotus's strongest weapon was its secrecy, and once Ming Hua blew that off, it was only a matter of time until they go down. The damage has already been done, but he could keep her from suffering any more than needed. He owed it to her.

"Would it speed things up if I talk?"


	15. Turning Into Dust Again

**Thanks again to my dear Guru Elvira. **

Ming Hua was trying to learn some healing for a while, but it was impossible with no volunteers. Even after rough training sessions, none of her friends ever allowed her to come near them with some glowing water. Zaheer wanted to keep every single battle scar, P'li hardly ever got injured, and Ghazan strongly refused being her guinea pig. She tried healing herself every now and then, but she hardly managed to handle anything worse than a scrape.

This week they were in Republic City, after a long tour of the Earth Kingdom's villages. She liked the rural parts better, but her friends preferred the abundance of bars and inns.

At some point, Ghazan went missing for a whole day, leaving her all alone with the happy couple. Zaheer claimed to know where he was, but refused to tell. _Time will shed light upon the truth_, as a certain guru once said.

He came knocking on her door later that night. Despite her weariness, she let him in, laughing uncontrollably as soon as she saw him.

"It's not funny," he grunted. The skin that wasn't covered by his shorts was a swollen, irritated red-and-blue mixture of ink and visible pain.

"Yes, it is! You got tattoos? _Why_?"

"You know how Zaheer keeps ranting about the Air philosophies?"

"I'm familiar with that, yes."

He dragged himself to sit on her bed, which nearly buckled beneath his weight. "The only thing that's actually cool about it is the airbending master tattoos. Since I got my lavabending now, I figured…"

"You're an earthbending master and should mark yourself as such," she rolled her eyes.

"It's really not as pompous as you make it sound."

"No, you're right. Maybe you should have a huge mastery ceremony where you also marry yourself while you're at it," she laughed and flicked his tattooed arm with some water. His stream of cusswords lasted for a solid few minutes.

"I came here so you could heal me, not torture me!"

"Oh, look who agreed to demote himself to a guinea pig," she smirked, floating in some more water from the tub. "The master himself."

* * *

Her cell was a tiny metal box which contained of absolutely nothing. There was a small window and a massive door, but other than that she was on her own.

She spent most of her day lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, thinking of her own stupidity. Ghazan had been right all along. Dying was better. Trusting the Avatar was moronic. Nothing will ever be normal again. Now he's going through the same ordeal as she is, and he probably thinks she hates him. She does, a little bit. He was a jerk and hurt her right where it hurts, but it doesn't mean she stopped loving him, either.

If he were there with her as they promised, she wouldn't have wasted time fighting with him. Instead she'd get close to him for warmth on the freezing nights, trace the tattoos on his neck with her lips, or simply talk to him. They could talk to each other for hours on end without running out of topics or getting bored. All she could do on her own is just sit there and think of him. It wasn't nearly as good.

Aside from her loved one's absence, the extreme temperatures and the massive boredom, was also the hunger. There's only so much rice a person can stand, let alone with no arms, and she crossed that line years ago. After tasting freedom, she couldn't revert back to that miserable state.

By the number of meals she returned untouched, she's been there for about three days. Already she was going insane all over again, but this time she could only blame herself.

Eventually she lost it. She kicked the door repeatedly, hitting the metal in a loud _clang_, screaming through the small barred opening. "We had a deal! Keep your fucking word! I deserve to be treated like a human!" Even though it made her throat sore and drier than it already was, throwing a fit was a better way to pass the time than just stare into space and think of Ghazan.

A few minutes later, an annoyingly pretty face appeared on the other side of the opening. She recognized the airbender she had once held hostage.

"Hi," she said with a certain insecurity, but smiled nonetheless. "I'm Opal. My mother's not here for the day, so…"

"So why won't you tell me how long I'll have to wait for my so-called better conditions. Where's the Avatar?"

"I don't know exactly. She and the others are out investigating on the Red Lotus. It was really nice of you to tell them all these things. It made me forgive you for, uhh, the Air Temple."

The last thing she needed was this airhead's forgiveness.

"I didn't do it because I was nice," she explained with patience that surprised even her. "I did it so I could live peacefully. Do I look peaceful to you?"

"Not really," she avoided her eyes. "The guards say you're not eating."

"What do you want me to do, stick my face in it?" She asked loathingly. "I'm not going to do that again."

"Again?" It must have taken her some time to process the meaning of it. "Okay, so what do you want instead?"

"Soup. For now I'll settle for edible food."

"I don't think getting you fluids is a very good idea."

"I'm not going to make soup-arms and break out of here with noodles," she said dismissively.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," she forced herself to say. "Is Ghazan okay?"

"Sure, he's awesome. Bolin says he's a great teacher."

"Teacher? He gets to teach while I'm stuck here? I'm the one who cooperated all along," if looks could kill, this girl would be a corpse by now. "Let me out too. I can _teach_."

"There are no waterbenders here, but – I'll ask my mom," she disappeared quickly.

She knew no one will ever let her bend outside, but a sentry did bring her soup a few minutes later. The thought of breaking away with noodles has actually crossed her mind, but she was so damn hungry she decided to postpone the plan by a few days.

* * *

She moved the water around, mimicking the pattern of his newly-etched tattoos. Stupid as it was, she had to admit it looked pretty badass.

"This isn't helping at all, you're just getting me wet," he grunted.

"I'm trying to figure it out," she snapped, icing the water so it could at least be soothing.

"Can't you go back to your waterbending master to learn how to do it? I bet Zaheer and P'li won't mind visiting the South Pole."

"I don't have one," she murmured. "I'm self-taught."

"Impressive," he smiled. "Shouldn't you feel right at home back there? Why'd you leave?"

They've been friends for over a year now, but they never talked about anything serious. None of them knew anything about her, and she wanted to keep it that way. She never regretted killing Tao, but most people would run the other way if they found out they've been friends with a ruthless murderer. However, there was something about him – his stability, calmness, the reassurance of his smile – that made her think it's okay to confide in him. Suddenly she was desperate to open up and let him in. Besides, he's too sore to be running anywhere.

She told him everything; her miserable childhood with Tao, the loss of her arms, her newly-found bending, and eventually, the murder. She didn't even hide how much she enjoyed it.

Instead of running, he hugged her and didn't let go for a few minutes, even though the pain was probably killing him. It was the first hug she's had in ages. She wondered if he knew how much it meant to her.

"I'd kill him too if I were you, and I'd let him freeze."

On her next attempt, the water took on its silvery-blue glow, making him sigh with relief. That's when she realized she loves him, and couldn't stop ever since.


	16. Otherside

**Well, this is it. **

**I want to thank every single person who read\commented\followed this incredibly long piece, and I hope you enjoyed it. **

**One final thanks to Elvira - there's a bit of her in every chapter.**

For this afternoon's practice, Ghazan decided he should just relax and let Bolin do all the work; he told his unsuspecting pupil to perform the same boring routine one hundred and fifty times, while he enjoys the nice breeze and yells out random orders like _keep your neck straight! _And _don't breathe so much! _It was quite entertaining to watch Bolin struggle with those, even though they had no meaning whatsoever.

Their intense training session was interrupted as he felt something hit the back of his head. It was a surprisingly familiar feeling. Water.

He quickly turned around to see Ming Hua, water-arms and all, smirking at him. He blinked a few times just to be sure she was real.

"Good work, we'll pick this up tomorrow," he told Bolin as he walked to her as quickly as he could.

"That's not fair, we just got started," he protested, but Ghazan didn't hear a thing.

They weren't very keen on public displays of affection. He found it awkward and unnecessary, but not today. At the moment, he couldn't wait one more second until they find a more secluded location. He hasn't seen her in days, no one told him how she's doing or where she is, and suddenly she materializes right behind him, out of the blue. There were a million things he wanted to say to her, but using his verbal skills was a bit too much for him to handle.

He narrowed their distance, cupping her cheeks with his hands, looking into her eyes before their lips finally met. Her water tendrils refused to let him pull away, nor did he want to. He missed her more than anything, and now that she was back in his arms again, he won't let her go.

As they eventually parted, to the sound of Bolin's cheers, they stared and simpered at each other like a couple of love-crazed teenagers. She'll never talk about it, but he could tell how hard she had it these past few days simply by looking at her. The skin beneath her eyes darkened, and her new green dress hung loosely on her body. Green was definitely her color, though.

"Should we bow?" She asked him, eyeing the young lavabender.

"We better just leave the stage," he wrapped his arm around her, waving at Bolin. "Where to?"

"Our new cell. My deal just kicked in," she rested her head on his arm for a moment. "The all-knowing teen detectives finally determined I was right. We get to live in a fancy house now, and eat the food made by their chef."

"No more rice?" He asked hopefully.

"Never again," she smiled. "They own us, though. We can't leave this compound, and we have to work for them in whatever they ask us to. And you know the old threat."

"If we so much as step out of line, we can kiss our bending goodbye. I know." He had to acknowledge the elephant-koi in the room. "Now, about the airship."

"You were a remarkable idiot on the airship. Didn't our favorite Guru say _Let go your earthly tether_? The Red Lotus is tethering you. You're too stubborn to realize it, but you have to adapt. We could have a comfortable life here, even without constant pursuit of anarchy. You can walk this new path with me, or let your old one lead you off a cliff."

"Funny that you mention it, because I've already told them everything I know in order to get you out faster."

"You did?" She stared at him in surprise, her lips slowly stretching into a smile. Now she knew the lengths he'll go for her. If he must choose between her and anarchy, it's a no-brainer.

"I couldn't let you stay there." It was a tough decision, but it had to be made. He could never truly forget everything he believes in, yet he had to at least try. He can't warn his former comrades from Avatar Korra's imminent annihilation, take out world leaders, or see if Ming Hua was right about Zaheer's true colors. The only thing he could do was live with her in their golden cage, pretend they're free, be grateful her crazy leap of faith worked and they're back together again. He'll never take that for granted.

They arrived to the metallic doorstep of their new home. He could tell just by glancing inside that it was much more luxurious than their old place in Ba Sing Se; it had two stories, an operating water fountain, high ceilings and plush furniture.

He picked her up in his arms, crossing the threshold.

"It didn't get us much luck last time," she commented, shutting the door behind them.

"I know. It's just fun to do."

It wasn't anarchy, but he could definitely live with that. Him and Ming Hua behind closed doors is all it takes for him to be truly happy.


	17. More And More Each Day

_Three year later_

Ghazan enjoyed the early mornings, before the sun came out. It was the perfect time to get some exercise while everyone was still fast asleep. Every morning he'd watch Ming Hua for a few minutes – she wasn't frowning in her sleep anymore. She was sleeping sound, taking deep, slow breaths. Their safe lives in Zaofu made everything better for her.

Overall, he was quite pleased with his new prison. He wasn't free to leave, but he had a roof over his head, food on his table and his two favorite waterbenders by his side, so why would he ever want to?

There was the upcoming coronation of Prince Wu – another mindless, stupid, arrogant brat who thinks he doesn't owe his citizens a thing. Someone _definitely _had to take him out, but it was out of Ghazan's hands. Now that he's a family man, there's no more room in his life for these dangerous missions. Since Korra destroyed the Red Lotus, they won't be able to do anything about it either. Wu is about to live an overly long, unnecessary life.

Parenting had been a fine distraction from Zaheer and his forsaken ideology – during the first few months he could hardly remember his own name. Ming Hua had some trouble adjusting to it at first, too. Motherhood didn't come naturally to her; she was a fighter, not a diaper-changer, but everything got better once they started sleeping through the night again.

They got to have a night off every once in a while when Bolin, Jiyu's self-proclaimed _big bro, _visited Zaofu. His former pupil has joined the new Air Nomads trying to _clean all the mess caused by the, you know, queen thing. _Even Ming Hua warmed up to him in time, trusting him enough with their dearest over-protected infant.

He'll never say a word about it, but he was horribly disappointed when his own daughter started bending the water in her bathtub. He hoped they'd be throwing rocks and dirt at each other, or that he'd teach her to use her Seismic sense to cheat at hide-and-seek, but it could never happen. Well, they might have better luck with their next kid.

Seventeen-year-old Ghazan would never have believed this would be the kind of life for him – uneventful, plain, bound, and with Ming Hua by his side of all people. Now he wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
